Politics / Northeast

GUWAHATI, April 8 – The whole system of governance in the North-east has failed or is in a state of collapse. A parallel system of government exists in the region in the form of militants. Most of the money spent in the North-east ultimately ends up in the hands of militants. These were the grim observations of a group of retired bureaucrats, police and military officers who constitute the North East Study Group (NESG). The advisory group, set up on the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in November 2001, is chaired by former Meghalaya chief secretary SK Agnihotri and has...

GUWAHATI, April 8 — The Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today informed that the State Government was in touch with Mizoram and Manipur governments for initiating coordinated action to tackle the ethnic violence that has flared up along the inter-State boundary areas in the Cachar district of Assam. Talking to newsmen here, Sri Gogoi stated that as the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) extremists involved in ethnic cleansing of Dimasas in Cachar areas were based in those two neighbouring States, the coordination with the two State governments was the need of the hour to control the ethnic violence in...

NEW DELHI, April 8 — The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been alarmed by the trans-national linkages between the militant outfits in the North-east and the ISI of Pakistan and has held illegal inflow of arms and influx of illegal migrants into the region as having aided growth and movement of militancy.

This was the conclusion drawn up by the Union Home Secretary in his submission before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, which tabled its report in the Lok Sabha here today.

The standing Committee’s report came even as the MHA said that it has directed the Assam...

NEW DELHI, April 7 — In a new twist to the ongoing battle for repeal of the controversial IMDT Act, a fresh petition demanding implementation of the Act to all-over the country has been filed. The case has now been posted for direction in July. The tagging of a new writ petition filed by Prasant Bhusan on behalf of his client Abu Hanifa in support of the Act has added a new angle to the case that has been pending final hearing in the Apex Court since late last year.

A three-member Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice VN Khaire, comprising Justice Brijesh Kumar and Justice SB...

Shillong, April 6: Umrangsho in the North Cachar Hills has had little to do with the ethnic feud between Dimasas and Hmars so far, but after the March 31 incident at Chekarcham and Meghnathal in Cachar, things are not the same any more.

Forty-five-year-old Dingi, who fled the village with her family of eight members including a month-old baby, fears a violent backlash by militants of the Dima Halam Daoga in Umrangsho, which is flanked by Dimasa and Karbi villages in the north.

?We fled our homes as some of us have heard of a conspiracy by the DHD to torch our villages in retaliation against...

NEW DELHI, April 4 – Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has opposed granting of any local administrative powers to Reang tribals, many of whom have migrated to the state from neighbouring Tripura, reports PTI.

“We are trying to find an amicable solution to the problem .... but are opposed to their demand for administrative powers,” Zoramthanga told PTI after a 20-minute meeting with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani here, on Thursday. The Reangs shifted out from Tripura about two years ago alleging harassment by other tribes.

Zoramthanga said the Centre also did not approve of granting any...

GUWAHATI, April 3 — Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today informed that the Government of India was yet to take any concrete initiative to man the unguarded Indo-Bhutan border in the State to prevent infiltration of extremists from their camps in Himalayan kingdom. Talking to newsmen here this morning, Sri Gogoi said, “Although the State Government has been insisting on deployment of the BSF along the unmanned Indo-Bhutan border, the Centre has decided to deploy SSB personnel. However, no step has been taken so far to deploy even the SSB along the international border through which ULFA and NDFB...

Shillong, March 27: The Meghalaya government will move New Delhi to intervene in the vexed boundary dispute with Assam if its hand is forced, chief minister D.D. Lapang said here today. However, another attempt would be made to solve the problem of militancy along the border, he added.

Replying to the debate on the Governor’s address, the chief minister mooted a mission of peace. Lapang said the Assam boundary problem needs settlement. He said the status quo between both states would be maintained till a solution is found. “We have to solve it together,” he said, adding that he would fix a...

AGARTALA, March 27 — Pakistan army were imparting commando training to Tripura-based insurgents in their country to launch subversive activities in Indian territory police said Wednesday quoting a surrendered militant, reports PTI.

Police said this information was available from a self-styled sergeant of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) who surrendered to the IG, CRPF, Sukhjinder Singh at Naraingarh in West Tripura district Wednesday. He had surrendered along with three other insurgents of the same outfit.

Hemanta Tripura, the self-styled sergeant who deposited an AK-46...

New Delhi, March 25: Member of Parliament and former interlocutor to the Mizo and Naga talks, Swaraj Kaushal, has appealed to Ulfa leader Anup Chetia to retract his decision of seeking asylum in Bangladesh. Kaushal has stated his desire of taking up the matter with the Centre for “his (Chetia’s) safe return to Assam”.

Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, general secretary and a founder member of the Ulfa, was arrested in Dhaka in 1997 and has four cases pending against him, including illegal possession of foreign currency, arms and forged passport.

A Bangladeshi court had recently sentenced the...